OFFICIAL: Bottas will continue to be the second driver at Mercedes in 2021

Valtteri Bottas will also be in action for the Mercedes team in 2021. The Finn was recruited in 2017 as the replacement for the suddenly departed world champion Nico Rosberg and has now extended his contract for a fifth season.

The ideal second violin

Bottas started his Formula 1 career at Williams, where he impressed with several podium finishes alongside Felipe Massa. The Finn is also under the management of Toto Wolff, so the sum total for the German was quickly made when Rosberg pulled the plug at the end of 2016.

In the past three seasons Bottas has been a good second violin next to the big man at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton. Bottas immediately won races in 2017, but could not compete against his teammate. Also in the following years Bottas was strong in the beginning, but also Bottas 2.0 could not beat Hamilton.

Whether Bottas will be able to beat Hamilton in 2020 remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Bottas will be allowed to drive the dominant Mercedes car for another year. Bottas has almost fifty podium finishes in Formula 1 and can add many more.